Technical Lead

Nuveen; New Jersey; Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 154,000; Full time

Job summary

TIAA seeks a Technical Lead to provide senior technical vision, architectural leadership, and delivery governance for a critical software platform. You will own architectural decisions, SDLC governance, and production support ownership while mentoring engineers and setting standards for security, scalability, and quality.

You will guide API security, oversee external-facing integration, and drive AI governance for code tools, shaping the platform as annuity products expand to new markets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a related field.
• 5+ years of experience with Java development and enterprise platforms.
• Experience owning SDLC governance and API security standards.
• Strong track record in production support for business-critical systems.
• Mentorship and leadership across multiple engineering teams.
• Ability to translate business strategy into technical roadmaps.

Responsibilities

• Owns architectural vision and roadmap for the platform, ensuring scalability and security.
• Defines architectural decision-making processes and SDLC quality gates.
• Owns Level 3 production support strategy for external-facing systems.
• Mentors engineering teams and elevates technical capability.
• Leads governance for responsible AI adoption in code generation.
• Partners with stakeholders to align technical architecture with business strategy.
• Guides platform evolution as annuity products expand to new markets.

Skills

Java development

Architecture leadership

SDLC governance

API security standards

Production support strategy

Mentorship & leadership

AI governance for development tools

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

AWS EKS

Docker/Kubernetes

Jenkins/ArgoCD

IBM MQ / ActiveMQ Artemis / Kafka

Job description

The Technical Lead provides senior technical vision, architectural leadership, and delivery governance for TIAA's business-critical software platforms. Under general direction, this job owns architectural decision‑making, SDLC governance, and production support ownership for a complex, externally-facing platform, while mentoring engineering teams and setting the technical standards that guide platform scalability, security, and quality. This job is considered the senior-most technical authority within its platform area and is accountable for the platform's long-term technical direction.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

• Owns the technical vision and architectural roadmap for the Insurance Solutions Technology platform, ensuring the platform can scale securely to support SIA product portability and future distribution partnerships
• Defines and governs API security standards, architectural decision‑making processes, and SDLC quality gates across the platform
• Owns Level 3 production support strategy, ensuring the platform's stability and resilience meet the demands of an externally‑facing, partner-integrated system
• Provides senior technical mentorship and leadership to the broader engineering team, elevating the team's collective technical capability
• Serves as the team's primary authority on responsible AI adoption — defining governance, quality, and security guardrails for AI‑assisted and AI‑generated code
• Partners with business, product, and partner integration stakeholders to translate TIAA's annuity market expansion strategy into a coherent, sustainable technical architecture
• Guides the platform's technical evolution as TIAA's annuity products expand into retail and future markets

Educational Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree Required
• Work Experience 5 Years Required; 7 Years Preferred

Physical Requirements

• Physical Requirements: Sedentary Work
• Career Level 9IC Required

Required Skills

• 5 or more years of experience with Java development (Java 17+), with demonstrated ownership of architecture and technical direction for enterprise platforms
• Demonstrated experience owning SDLC governance, architectural decision‑making, and API security standards for a complex, externally‑facing platform
• Proven ownership of Level 3 production support strategy for a business‑critical, externally‑facing system
• Hands‑on experience with cloud‑native engineering: AWS EKS, containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), and CI/CD tooling (Jenkins, Cloudbees, ArgoCD)
• Demonstrated ability to define governance frameworks and quality/security guardrails for AI‑assisted development tools
• Exceptional track record of technical mentorship and leadership across engineering teams
• Experience translating business and platform strategy into technical architecture and execution roadmaps

Preferred Skills

• Financial services or insurance industry domain expertise, particularly annuity products, recordkeeping, or accumulation ledger systems
• Message‑based integration architecture experience (IBM MQ, Apache ActiveMQ Artemis, Kafka, or JMS)
• Broader cloud infrastructure architecture experience: AWS (ECS, S3, Glue, Lambda), OpenShift, Terraform
• Secrets management and authentication architecture (CyberArk Conjur, Kerberos, or equivalent)
• Experience guiding platform strategy in the context of external distribution partnerships or multi‑partner integration models
• BPMN / workflow orchestration architecture (Flowable, Camunda, or similar)
• Experience operating in Agile/Scrum environments with accountability for cross‑team technical alignment

Related Skills

• Agile Methodology
• Continuous Integration and Deployment
• Data Analysis
• Debugging
• DevOps
• Enterprise Application Integration
• Operating Systems Management
• Problem Solving
• Programming
• Software Development
• Software Development Life Cycle
• Web Application Development

Anticipated Posting End Date: 2026-09-07

Base Pay Range: $130,000/yr - $154,000/yr

Actual base salary may vary based upon, but not limited to, relevant experience, time in role, base salary of internal peers, prior performance, business sector, and geographic location. In addition to base salary, the competitive compensation package may include, depending on the role, participation in an incentive program linked to performance (for example, annual discretionary incentive programs, non‑annual sales incentive plans, or other non‑annual incentive plans).

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Company Overview

Every worker deserves a secure retirement. For more than 100 years, TIAA has delivered it for millions of people. Founded to help educators retire with dignity, today weʼre a market‑leading retirement company fueled by world‑class asset management. But weʼre not just another legacy financial services firm. Weʼre fighting harder than ever before for our clients and the many Americans who need us. Our Culture of Impact At TIAA, we're on a mission to build on our 100+ year legacy of delivering for our clients while evolving to meet tomorrow's challenges. We equip our associates with future‑focused skills and AI tools that enable us to advance our mission. Together, we are fighting to ensure a more secure financial future for all and for generations to come. We are guided by our values: Champion Our People, Be Client Obsessed, Lead with Integrity, Own It, and Win As One. They influence every decision we make and how we work together to serve our clients every day. We thrive in a collaborative in‑office environment where teams work across organizational boundaries with shared purpose, accelerating innovation and delivering meaningful results. Our workplace brings together TIAA and Nuveen's entrepreneurial spirit, where we work hard and work together to create lasting impact. Here, every associate can grow through meaningful learning experiences and development pathways—because when our people succeed, our impact on clients' lives grows stronger.

Benefits and Total Rewards

The organization is committed to making financial well‑being possible for its clients, and is equally committed to the well‑being of our associates. That’s why we offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package designed to make a positive difference in the lives of our associates and their loved ones. Our benefits include a superior retirement program and highly competitive health, wellness and work life offerings that can help you achieve and maintain your best possible physical, emotional and financial well‑being. To learn more about your benefits, please review our Benefits Summary.

Equal Opportunity

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. TIAA does not discriminate against any candidate or employee on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, sex, religion, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected status. Our full EEO & Non‑Discrimination statement is on our careers home page, and you can read more about your rights and view government notices here.

Accessibility Support

TIAA offers support for those who need assistance with our online application process to provide an equal employment opportunity to all job seekers, including individuals with disabilities. If you are a U.S. applicant and desire a reasonable accommodation to complete a job application please use one of the below options to contact our accessibility support team: Phone: [phone] Email: [e-mail]

Drug and Smoking Policy

TIAA maintains a drug‑free and smoke‑free workplace.

Privacy Notices For Applicants

For Applicants of TIAA, Nuveen and Affiliates residing in US (other than California), click here. For Applicants of TIAA, Nuveen and Affiliates residing in California, please click here. For Applicants of TIAA Global Capabilities, click here. For Applicants of Nuveen residing in Europe and APAC, please click here. TIAA started out over 100 years ago to help ensure teachers could retire with dignity. Today, many people who work at not‑for‑profits rely on our wide range of financial products and services to support and strengthen their financial well‑being. Privacy Notices For Applicants of TIAA, Nuveen and Affiliates residing in US (other than California), click here. For Applicants of TIAA, Nuveen and Affiliates residing in California, please click here. For Applicants of TIAA Global Capabilities, click here. For Applicants of Nuveen residing in Europe and APAC, please click here. Nondiscrimination & Equal Opportunity Employment TIAA is committed to providing equal opportunity across all employment practices and we believe our employees have a right to a diverse and inclusive workplace. EEO is the Law Pay Transparency Philadelphia Ban the Box